INDIGENOUS-LED PROGRAM AMPLIFIES FIRST NATIONS VOICES ON SYDNEY AIRWAVES

BY ASAD KHAN AND MARLI RYAN

Alive 90.5’s It’s Now Time Australia is changing what radio sounds like, starting with community.

Host Jie Pittman, a proud Daurg, Yuin, Kooma, Ngemba, and Wiradjuri man, describes community radio as “truth talk”, a space where stories rise from the ground up.

“It comes from love, it comes from the people,” he said.

“Community radio is about the people. It’s real stories, from the bottom up.”

Starting the Fire in Sydney’s Hills

His show began when he challenged his local council in Sydney’s Hills Shire to acknowledge Country for the first time.

That conversation led to collaboration, and soon, the council backed a new Indigenous program.

“After we spent time out on Country, they realised it was now time for our Hills community to have an Indigenous show,” he said.

The result was It’s Now Time Australia, a space for “First Nations, current Australians, and future Australians” to come together and talk.

The Spiritual Economy of Radio

Behind the mic, Mr Pittman juggles multiple roles: radio host, father of five, carer, and business owner. He said the biggest challenge is time and funding.

“It really comes from another economy — our spiritual economy,” he said.

“But when people tell me they’ve felt healing or connection from the show — that’s the real reward.”

Passing the Mic to the Next Generation

For him, radio isn’t just a platform but a legacy.

He wants his five sons to grow up strong in culture and to speak with honesty and kindness.

“It’s about preparing them to walk straight, talk straight, and welcome others who want to learn about Blackfella culture,” he said.

Listen to the Ngaarda Media’s Marli Ryan speak with Jie Pittman: